The road trip murder-mystery queen is back—and she’s bringing a jaw-dropping entourage with her. Poker Face, Rian Johnson’s genre-bending crime-of-the-week series starring Natasha Lyonne, is officially rolling into Season 2 on May 8, 2025, exclusively on Peacock.
And this time, Charlie Cale isn’t just solving murders at truck stops—she’s diving headfirst into alligator farms, retail nightmares, and even school talent shows. What else would you expect from a human lie detector with a nose for trouble and a Plymouth Barracuda that never rests?
As confirmed by NBC’s teaser released at PaleyFest LA, Season 2 of Poker Face opens with three brand-new episodes, with the remaining nine dropping weekly each Thursday. Lyonne and Johnson promise “next-level” whodunit chaos—delivered through a visually nostalgic lens inspired by ‘70s cinema and anchored in Columbo-style episodic storytelling.
Johnson explained to NBC, “Each episode is a mini-movie, existing in its own world with a unique tone and vibe,” while Lyonne teased a return to “Charlie’s existential crime-solving odyssey,” one small-town corpse at a time.
A Quick Recap of What Happened in Poker Face Season 1
In case you missed the Emmy-nominated first season (which earned Judith Light an Outstanding Guest Actress win), the show introduced us to Charlie Cale, a former casino worker turned wandering detective.
With an uncanny knack for spotting lies, Charlie becomes a fugitive after crossing powerful casino fixer Cliff (Benjamin Bratt). She spent Poker Face Season 1 traveling across America solving seemingly unconnected murders—until a climactic showdown left her being blackmailed by mysterious mogul Beatrix Hasp (Rhea Perlman).
Perlman’s voice-only appearance in Season 1 will expand into a full-fledged villain role in Season 2, which Johnson previously told The Hollywood Reporter will give fans a “terrifying” antagonist presence. Tony Tost (The Terror, Longmire) is stepping in as showrunner for this chapter, ensuring the story’s noir roots grow darker—and even weirder.
The Unhinged Guest Stars of Season 2
The Season 2 cast reads like a fever dream of Emmy winners, cult icons, and scene-stealing oddballs. Returning as our antihero Charlie, Natasha Lyonne is joined by a thrilling roster of new faces: Wicked’s Cynthia Erivo, John Mulaney, Katie Holmes, Giancarlo Esposito, and Awkwafina are just a few of the high-voltage stars dropping in for this season’s standalone cases.
Also on board? Corey Hawkins, Taylor Schilling, Simon Rex, Lili Taylor, Ben Marshall, Haley Joel Osment, Richard Kind, and Orange Is the New Black alums Adrienne C. Moore and Natasha Leggero. And yes, fans of Charlie’s iconic car can rest easy—the Barracuda is back, too.
The combination of noir crime, deadpan comedy, and rotating guest stars remains the show’s signature—and Season 2 appears ready to up the ante. Johnson and Lyonne’s shared affection for ‘70s TV (think The Rockford Files and Quantum Leap) and cinema (Altman, Bogdanovich, Rafelson) infuses every episode with style and unpredictability.
So, while Charlie may still be running from the past, it’s clear Poker Face Season 2 is running full speed into something even more compelling. With 12 self-contained, tonally daring episodes on the way, one thing’s for sure—truth, lies, and perfectly staged murders are about to collide again.
